Category Archives: Self esteem in girls

Look for the Lessons

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I woke up this morning and turned on the news. The first image I saw were two girls kissing the ground they walked on. The women were among the 4200 passengers who had just gotten off the cruise liner that caught fire. There are many things to be thankful for  – the vacationers were rescued, there was no loss of life and the vessel was brought safely to shore after days of  people living in horrible, unsanitary conditions. 

Storms-Of-Life-Come___-Adijust-Your-Sails_1As I listened to stories of passengers recounting the incident, time and time again, I heard that the employees of Carnival Cruise Line did all they possibly could to keep calm and fulfill the needs of the passengers within their abilities. 

Sadly, there are people in this world who live in squalor everyday, and their lives are shipwrecks. They are unable to escape, however, they still manage to find a sense of inspiration and gratefulness in their lives. Attached is an article on how to find the positive when life challenges us with difficult situations.http://mayocl.in/12RaDIt.

Although I am sure it was very difficult to find the good  at the time, the 4200 passengers have returned home. Perhaps many have a renewed sense of gratitude for their lives. From here on out, their perspectives on life and their response to the vacation gone horribly wrong will all be about their attitudes.

Visit us again tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Seek the Good in the World

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“To love what you do and feel that it matters, how could anything be more fun?” ~Katharine Graham 

You’ve heard it time and time again, look for the positive not for the negative. Well, that is exactly what You Are Never Alone Foundation, a Vermont 5013(c) in Dorset, Vermont is focusing on between now and March 28th. The foundation is hoping to have help, around the world, in capturing and writing down ONE MILLION Acts of Caring and every community can participate! 

The idea is so simple. In your home, school, place of work, in your place of worship, or other public spaces in your community, place a “caring box” with pencil and paper in plain view. Every time you witness and catch someone in an act of kindness, write it down and put it in the box. If you see someone sharing a welcoming smile, extending a hand by volunteering to help or any other kind gesture or words that demonstrates caring, acknowledge it. Between now and March 28th focus on finding all the truly good and compassionate people around the world. 

You are never-AloneYou can go to the website for You Are Never Alone Foundation and get the resources you need to start a movement where you live. There are posters/flyers to print out, and a design to wrap around a box, so people will know to drop their testimonies of witnessing kind deeds and acts. http://bit.ly/TPEAEY . 

March 28 is the annual worldwide I Matter…You Matter Day and Salley Gibney, founder of You Are Never Alone Foundation has challenged people everywhere to tally up 1,000,000 caring acts by that date.

One Million Acts of Caring need not end on March 28th. You can engage in caring year round.As Salley says, “Caring is Contagious. We all need to share messages of caring, connection and hope.”  

One great act of caring would be to pass this message along and participate in the challenge!

Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

New Generation Libraries

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“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things….create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut  

When I moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado back in 2008, I felt like I had hit the jackpot when I saw Bud Werner Memorial Library. It had just undergone renovation and had opened only three months prior to my arrival. The improvement in physical structure (addition of approximately 26,000 sq feet) is not all that  impressed me, however. Since then, the library has become a real hub of community activity. Library services have been expanded and updated to accommodate for the digital age. The library’s computer technology is relied on, heavily, for people in the surrounding rural communities where internet access is a problem. 

quote on librariesI enjoy learning about other communities, throughout the country, who have recently built or expanded libraries with an eye on the next generation of readers. There is a library, in Tiverton, Rhode Island, which I am very excited about. It has been in the planning and developmental stages for many years.; construction begins this coming May.

Union Studio Architects: Architecture and Community Design of Providence, Rhode Island was instrumental in bringing the vision for the project together. http://bit.ly/WMDsiX . A young, hip firm, founded in 2001, draws plans for what they see as being fulfilling living in community development for the next generation. I am proud to say one of my nieces, Kara, is a contemporary in the company and helped design the Tiverton Library.

To learn more about the Union Studio Architects and their philosophy on new urbanism, here is a short video. http://bit.ly/YC4yyf .  Check out the movie star, Stanley, in this video – he is as charming as Barney, President Bush’s, dog who  sadly went to doggie heaven this week.

I look forward to seeing this facility when it is completed.

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

 

Using a Blog as Vision Board

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“Never mind searching for who you are. Search for the person you aspire to be.” ~Robert Brault

Yesterday I discovered All Things Fulfilling was featured once again on author Mara Purl’s blog. http://bit.ly/11hneiN. Purl had this to say about the content that we post on this site. “Just one glance at Sue’s extensive, multi-faceted, eclectic and intriguing blog will demonstrate she actually practices the fulfillment she talks about.” 

I would agree with Purl’s assessment of this blog; the subject matter is always a little different. I write about what is  in my heart on a daily basis. We all find enjoyment in different things in our lives, so I try use my intuition to steer me in knowing what others might find appealing and interesting in the arts and humanities field. Perhaps All Things Fulfilling could be described as my vision board for committing to and exploring possibilities for creating a lifestyle filled with heart and soul.   I use my emotional energy to help others follow their hearts desires to do what makes them happy in their careers and find personal fulfillment in their personal lives.

Mara Purl’s fictional characters in her Milford-Haven books, are people who have decided to think outside the box and create a life that is uniquely suited to their personalities and interests. I like that, Purl’s characters “sit right with me.”Click for the Milford Haven Novels ink pen with heart

So, I’m going to put Purl’s next (3rd) Milford-Haven novel on my vision board, and I’ll let you know when it is available.

Did you know Mara Purl is now a national best selling author of women’s fiction? Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling.This blog is brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected and www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

In Search of Soul and Self

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“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” ~ Charlemagne

Note: Today’s blog is devoted to all beautiful soul building individuals in the family of man. The message below, in red and black, is a reminder that the fabric of the world’s population is so interesting due our diversity as individuals, woven together, living on one planet.

I am a very proud aunt! I have five nieces, and two nephews, not even including two more lovely nieces on my husband’s side of the family. There’s notto my neice a bad apple in the bunch of them; each has a unique personality and career choice so different than each of their cousins. All are in their twenties, except the youngest who will be off to college, in September, with ambitions of becoming a veterinarian specializing in horses.

0814329616In a few short days, one of my nieces will be going to Japan to teach English as a second language. Wisely, she has chosen to travel abroad for an extended period, now, while she is young, with few encumbrances. She will be working at a very reputable school, has an apartment arranged, and is up for the challenge. Her personality traits, I believe, are well suited to the task. She is very resourceful and a beautiful soul building individual.

According to an article published by Cornell University, there are many benefits of elevating the spirits and minds of children by teaching them a second language. To read the full article, please go to  http://bit.ly/VMI4WT

Not to put  pressure on her or anything, but, I hope she will  start a blog; she is a fantastic writer. I would love to see photos and learn, from this side of the world, about her experiences in the classroom, as well as more about Japanese art, history and other interesting cultural information that she encounters. 

I love and will miss  my dear niece, and I hope it will not be too long before I see her again. But,  I know it will be a fulfilling experience. She’ll grow, as a person, as a result of sharing her talents with children abroad.

 “Ki wo tsuketekudasai”! 

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Steps to Extending Life

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“Only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way you use them.” ~Unknown 

looking up cover_Cynthia Olsen’s book, “Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond is part resource and part personal testimony. It very effectively tells a story of someone who recognized at a young age, the importance of the mind-body-spirit connection. The insights she shares about her ancestors health gives the reader motivation to know that we need not be inheritors of poor eating habits, and diseased bodies and spirits. We are in charge of our own experience. 

“Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond is an IPPY Gold Medal award-winning book. The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) has recognized the book for excellence in independent publishing. This book is not the first book Kali Press has published for Olsen. Here is a list of her other publications, all health related: 

  • Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (lst ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Oil Guide (2nd ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Handbook: 101 Ways to Use Australian Tea Tree Oil (1st ed)
  • Australian Tea Tree Handbook: 101 Ways to Use Australian Tea Tree Oil(2nd ed)
  • Essiac: A Native Herbal Cancer Remedy (2nd ed) – 1997 IPPY Gold Medal Award Winning Book.
  • Birth of the Blue: Australian Blue Cypress Oil 

For more information on Kali Press’ books and other products, please visit www.kalipress.com.  Olsen’s publications are available at the following libraries and bookstores:  

  • Walgreens- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Off The Beaten Path- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Bud Werner Memorial Library- Steamboat Springs, CO
  • Boulder Bookstore, Boulder, CO
  • Wilkenson Public Library- Telluride, CO
  • Between the Covers Book Store- Telluride, CO
  • The Book Worm- Edwards, CO
  • Eagle County Libraries, Eagle and Avon, CO 

picture of cynthia olsen belliniThis book is highly recommended for anyone who is seeking change and improving their habits for a fulfilling life at any age. There is some great advice, especially for Baby Boomers in this publication.

 (Photo: Author Cynthia Olsen)

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Notes to Myself, Redux

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“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, achieves the impossible.” ~ Unknown

notes to myself_Sunday, February 25, 1973. I remember a note I wrote to myself that day back when I was in college. It said, “Finish reading Notes to Myself by Friday for psychology class.” The note was not kept in a cell phone, palm pilot or any other kind of digital device. It was written on a big paper calendar hanging on the wall in my dorm room.

The last sentence of Friday’s blog writing called Keeper of the Keys, stirred that memory. Scroll down to Friday’s blog if you have not read it or follow this link if you missed it.http://bit.ly/UXoiY9

In 1973, as a sophomore in college, the world was becoming my oyster. Full of wisdom, optimistic, I’d made it through my freshman year, with good grades.If I am not mistaken, I may have been on the Deans List.

psycho-cyberneticsNotes to Myself, a curriculum-required book for my psychology class helped me make an important decision. I thought,  “If being a psychology major meant reading other meaningful books like that, I was up for the task.”  I hung on the words of Hugh Prather, the author of Notes to Myself, along with the thoughts of Maxwell Maltz, M.D, the author of Psychocybernetics. Psych students, at that time, flung around words like psychoanalysis, existentialism and transcendental meditation.

Somewhere in my  moves from apartment to apartment after college, my two bibles of thought were discarded. Since then they have been replaced by other personal development books introducing me to new ideas about this thing called personal fulfillment (or the art of living.)

digital notesToday, I’ve made a note to myself, in my hand-held digital device, to re-read Prather and Maltz’s books. This time,  in electronic format (e-book versions) on a digital reader. Both have updated book covers!

Visit us tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling, where sharing independent thoughts, words and views is all part of the business. This blog brought to you by Sue Batton Leonard, author of Gift of a Lifetime: Finding Fulfilling Things in the Unexpected
www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Spreading the Joy in Indie Publishing

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“Joy isn’t in things, money or positions. It is IN us. And we need to bring it with us and SHARE it!” ~ Unknown 

Day Two of 2013!  My resolution this year is to do something a little different each month, to promote our growing population of independent publishers here in Routt County, Colorado. 

snowboarding tricksWhy? Because I believe greatly in each one of our We Write Steamboat, independent publishers. They are a creative and well-educated group of people, male and female. Many of them are award-winning authors with award-winning books! Each of them is a healer of mind, body and spirit! They have career knowledge in all sorts of fields. Our members include teachers, physicians, life consultants,a chef, holistic health consultants, experts on our natural environment,  just to name a few. All with valuable experience in life to write about. Our group also includes young people and retirees who like to spin yarns just for the fun of it! (Of course, they don’t object to selling their books, also!) 

In my opinion, all writers are helpers and healers of mind, body and spirit! After all, we publish books to educate, inspire others, entertain,and inform readers. Could there be better reasons? I don’t think so. In fact, writing is as therapeutic for the author as well as the reader. It gives us a way to share our thoughts, emotions, experiences and our imaginations. http://bit.ly/ZSk0Yc.

A networking group of independent publishers, She Writes Steamboat, that I began almost two years ago, has grown, and as of January 1, 2013 we have changed our name to We Write Steamboat. From the very first meeting, we have had male writers attend, and we don’t want them to feel slighted! We’ve welcomed them and have been delighted to have them part of the group from our inception.

We, independent publishers here in Ski Town, USA and Routt County, Colorado, come together and meet monthly. In a nutshell, because producing independent books, films and music is a win-win for the artist creating the work as well as for the audience who so enjoys it! Our mission is to provide networking opportunity and to promote success of independent publishing. Our affiliation with the Colorado Independent Publishers Association www.cipabooks.com , also fosters our growth as award-winning writers and publishers.  

If you wish to learn more about starting up an independent publishing networking group in your area, contact me through this blog.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com, a company specializing in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers!

Knitting Happiness

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“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your actions.” ~ Dalai Lama XIV 

countdown-from-year-toHave you made your New Year resolutions? Many of us share the same goals for 2013. I’ll bet at least one of your priorities is on this list of top New Years Resolutions, since the same issues hold concern for many Americans.  Many people have these changes in lifestyle on their list for this upcoming year.

  • Loose weight
  • Get a better job
  • Get Fit
  • Drink less alcohol
  • Take a trip
  • Get a better education
  • Manage Stress
  • Quit Smoking
  • Recycle, Reuse and stop waste
  • Volunteer
  • Save more money 

Notice that PLAY MORE is missing from the list of American’s top New Year’s resolutions. Why is that? Because Americans tend to over eat, over extend their budgets, over drink and they spend a lot of time trying to get their lives in order  and rebuilding their lives after abusing themselves. Sad, but true.

A few weeks ago, I saw a show about Spain, It is touted as one of the top countries for happy people. Why? The work day comes with a two hour lunch break and people in Spain get 30 days vacation from their jobs every year. The lifestyle in Spain provides more time to PLAY, which provides personal fulfillment in their lives!  Want to learn more about Spain’s population of happy people? http://onforb.es/VbOugN

cafe_linkI contend that if Americans spent more time at play, some issues would take care of themselves. There would be a reduction in stress, people would spend less time over eating and drinking because they would find personal fulfillment in other ways – doing what ever it takes to make their hearts zing. 

How about you? What one thing will you add to your play list in 2013? I am going to add knitting more to my list again this year. I did not succeed in fulfilling this wish last year because I spent a lot of time writing. Winter is the perfect time to pull out the yarn and knitting needles.

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Kindle your Aspirations and Share the Peace

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“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” ~ Sy Miller and Jill Jackson 

christmas-earth-dove-painting_1280x1024Reading these words reminds me that although I can not control others actions in this world, I can be mindful of my own. 

So, in that vain, I would like to pass along a message of gratitude to all of you who have visited this website All Things Fulfilling over the past year. Your readership and comments makes blogging worthwhile. 

I have enjoyed learning about our client’s inspiring independent publishing projects in 2012 and look forward to seeing what 2013 brings, for others, who have just begun the process. For so many around the world, having the ability to tell and publish a story that has been burning inside, just waiting to be told, has been a first step towards peace within. We are fortunate to have freedom of press freedom in our country, and the choices in publishing platforms has grown with the development of e-books.

merry-christmas-sign

Merry Christmas, Everyone! May you celebrate this holiday in a way that is meaning and fulfilling to you, personally.

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